Dalton, Ma. Churches

The Methodist Church, at the corner of North and Main Streets, is home to over 250 parishioners led by Rev. Edward Painter. Services are held on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Following the service is a time of refreshment and fellowship. Sunday School, for youth and adults, is held at 11:00 a.m.. Office hours are 9:00 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday.
Dalton is the cradle of Methodism in Berkshire County. The first service was preached by an itinerant preacher at a private home in 1788. Meetings continued at various locations, including a cidermill, with membership cards required. The first church was constructed at the corner of North and Main streets in 1834 and remodeled in 1850 and 1869. A parsonage, built in 1848, was sold and later rebuilt. The present church was built in 1894 with donations from Thomas G. Carson, Byron Weston and Zenas and W. Murray Crane. A wing with a social hall and six Sunday School rooms was added in 1965.

The Rev. Mary Schreiber is Senior Missioner for Grace Episcopal Church which began as a mission in 1893. The first services were held in the Town Hall in 1892. Among early vestrymen was Tom Trend, a survivor of the charge of the Light Brigade against the Russian Cavalry at Balaklua. Construction on a church began in 1892. The cornerstone was laid by the author of "Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem." The first service was held in the new structure a year later with 28 communicants. In 1916, the church became a diocesan mission and in 1947, a full independent parish. The Guild Hall has been recently renovated and is used frequently by common groups.

The First Congregational Church is the oldest church in Dalton gathered in 1785 at the same time Dalton was founded. Massachusetts's law required that a Congregational church be established in every new town. The first church meeting house was built in 1791 near what is now Main Street Cemetery. As the population increased, a larger building was needed and in 1807 the Town voted to fund a new Meeting House. After years of debate about the location, another vote was taken in 1811 to build the new church on East Main Street. As the town continued to grow, a larger church was needed again. The current church was dedicated in 1889 with additions completed in 1914 and 1968.


Now in its 96th year, the largest church in Dalton is St. Agnes Parish. St. Agnes' Catholic Community consists of St. Agnes' Dalton, St. Patrick's Hinsdale and St. Matthew's Becket and it serves 5,000 parishioners. The congregation is led by Rev. Christopher Malatesta and serves all of the accompanying hill towns.